Week In Week Out
by Galux Phoenix
Summary: Responses to the drabble challenges from susancaspian community on livejournal. #22 Compassion: "Their smiles were touched with sadness..."
1. 1 Feast

My responses to the Weekly Drabble Challenges as postes on susancaspian over on livejournal.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Narnia, I only play in C.S. Lewis' sandbox for the fun of it.

**#1 Feast.**

The world danced around him, a swirl of light, dark, food, drink; a celebration of the living and a memorial of the dead. Narnians danced like they never had before, truly set free for the first time in over a millennia. Yet he sat still, leaning against a tree on the edge of the clearing, thoughts running wild planning a future for his people. As he watched the very legends of old laugh and be merry, all except one, he thought of the future he knew would never come true.

Queen Susan frowned into her cup before quietly moving away from her siblings, already dreading the future she knew would shortly come to pass. They would leave and once again her world would crumble behind her.

She turned; blue eyes locking with deep brown and for a moment two monarchs mourned the thought of a future not possible before living for the present that was.


	2. 3 White

#3 White

**#3 White.**

"The White Witch left a scar across Narnia."

Caspian looked up, startled by the quiet words and appearance of the Gentle Queen of Old. He had secluded himself in an unused corner of the How, to think and regret. Susan's clear blue eyes were steady and calm as she moved towards him, steps slow and careful.

"Even after she was defeated, it took decades for the wounds she left to heal. Every winter we ruled was more silent and subdued than the spring that followed it. After that initial rush of hope and spring it took time for the land and the people to heal. You will face that once this war is over, perhaps even more so than we did. Integrating Narnians and Telamarines will not be easy."

He looked at her his dark eyes scrutinising her as she moved to sit next to him, and for the first time he truly saw the mythical Queen Susan who upheld the throne while her siblings were at war.

"Thank you."

She gave him a quizzical glace, one eyebrow quirked in confusion, "What for, Caspian?"

"For bringing the hope that will hold me together. You are that first rush of hope for the Narnians," she looked down, noticing just how close she was sitting to him, a light blush creeping up her cheeks. "And for me."

Susan flushed even more and Caspian allowed himself a small smile at the walking contradiction by his side. He slid his hand into hers, fingers twining into a perfect fit.

"I'm not their hope, you are Caspian, and we're simply here to make you see that." She sighed before standing up. "Come, we have a war to win and a nation to save."

Weeks later after their nations were saved and they once again found themselves sitting together with hands entwined two monarchs thought of the long gone past, wished for the future and basked in the present.


	3. 10 Grace

# 10 Grace

**# 10 Grace.**

He heard her laughter long before he saw her, a musical peal that light up his heart like no torch ever could. He followed the sound to one of the balconies that looked over the castles main gardens, a lovers' nook that afforded some of the best views without having to climb a tower.

Susan was perched on the stone bench while still draping herself over the rail in an effort not to collapse laughing. Caspian stopped in the entrance for a moment, basking in her joy and carefree respite. He approached quietly, not wanted to disturb a side he had yet to see of the Gentle Queen.

"My queen? Has something particularly amusing happened?"

Her head shot up, amused blue eyes meeting his before gesturing for him to sit on the other half of the bench.

"Oh yes, very much so. Lucy decided that Trumpkin is to dance with her tomorrow night; the only problem is that he can't dance. Lucy found this out the hard way, she gave up and hour ago after several bruised toes," she gave a small giggle before composing herself.

"It is very unlike Queen Lucy to give up, she is most determined." His brow crinkled slightly, it was most bizarre for the valiant queen to give up on _anything_ let alone a close friend.

"I know which is exactly why and _how_ she roped Ed into doing it instead." Caspian almost chocked on the air he was breathing while Susan laughed.

"You are to tell me, my queen, that your sister attempted to teach the most graceless and awkward dwarf I have ever met to dance before having her feet trodden on so many times that she convinced her brother to take her place?"

"That is exactly what I'm telling you, my king, that and if you would care to wait for a few minutes, I'm sure they will continue the lesson in a moment." The wicked twinkle in her eye had him blushing and he was about to respond when raised voices from the garden below caught his attention.

"No! Not like that! Move on the third count not the second! No wonder Lu's feet hurt. You have the grace of a hippo." Both Susan and Caspian snickered as they watched the Just King attempt to teach the dwarf to dance, temper flaring and feet aching.

"They will not succeed at all if they cannot find someone who actually can dance," Caspian mused in between laughing fits.

"Your meaning? Edmund can dance."

"Not very well it seems, he knows the steps yes, but he is lacking the grace he carries onto the battlefield. He has to count his steps as much as Trumpkin does. Neither of them will succeed with finding any form of gracefulness."

Susan laughed, smiling at him before rising to her feet. "Well, then I guess we just have to show them how it's done then."

She held out a hand and his slipped his larger one into hers, letting her tug him gently to his feet. With an amused glace at the dwarf and fellow monarchs in the garden below, Caspian pulled Susan towards him placing a hand on her waist and spinning her into a slow waltz across the balcony. A soft smile curled her lips as she moved closer to him, resting her cheek against his shoulder as his arm wrapped around her waist, holding her close.

Biting her lip to hold in a very undignified snigger Lucy looked up, taking in the sight of her sister and her king swaying together to a song they could only hear. She smiled outright before turning her attention back to the task at hand. Susan and Caspian stayed like that, simply watching the garden below and basking in the joy of the moment, content to remain together forever.


	4. 11 Intentions

#11 Intentions

**#11 Intentions.**

She had never intended to fall asleep on sentry duty. He had never intended to stumble upon her in the early hours of the morning. Certainly neither of them intended to be awoken curled around each other only a few hours later by her younger brother.

Then again very few people intend to get transported to another world and find themselves mixed up in yet another war. Susan in particular was rather annoyed at this, just when she almost succeeded in trying to forget and move on; past what was the past and find a future that_ fit, _she was pulled out of her world again.

A future that sadly contained no Telmarine princes no matter how much she now wished it did. She wanted to stay, no matter the cost, Narnia had once again become her home; meaning more to her than England ever could. But Aslan would send her back again, he always did.

On the other hand, she did intend to stop moping and enjoy the present she could as much as possible. If that included late night snuggles, interrupted mornings and blushing brothers, well then so be it.


	5. 12 Music

#12 Music

**#12 Music.**

The music flitted around her head, the people surrounding her chattering and laughing at some unfortunate soul whom they deemed poorly dressed. Mocking and cruel the socialites of London were incredibly different to the Narnian court, and even worse than those of Telmarine nobility, which was saying something. The mixing of Old Narnians and Telmarines was interesting to say the least, the mocking and laughter coming from both sides of the story at least.

Queen Susan the Gentle sighed (again) before putting on a smile and accepting the dance invitation of a stuttering young lord, thinking of (as she often did) the warm smile of a newly crowned King. Thanking the young lord politely when he finally stopped treading on her feet, she retreated back to her quiet corner.

Caspian the Tenth while awkward and shy, was very aware of her as more than just a pretty face, he knew her strength in battle, sharp mind and gentle heart, just as she knew his fairness, intelligence and compassion. From their first meeting he had seen her as more than just a pretty face, a mistake some Telmarines were still making. He had taken her hand in his larger one, drawing her out of her chair and onto the dance floor of his coronation ball, spinning her gracefully into a slow waltz.

"You seem distracted, my queen," his voice was soft in her ear, not wanting to be overheard.

"I was simply thinking of England, in some ways it is similar, in many other terribly different. Here you can see the very best ands the very worst of human emotion, in England everything is muted, in a way, the people, the colours, even the music is dimmer. I don't know, I'm rambling." Susan smile at him softly, he pulled her as close as propriety would allow his smile answering hers.

They spent the rest of the evening like that, dancing and talking, for the first time in a long while able to relax and enjoy the festivities around them. In the time after Susan was glad for that night, for it was their last.

Now, hiding in another shadowy corner of a different type of ball, Susan Pevensie sighed (once again) before turning down the stuttering boy with pimples and walking away from the dimmed dreams of a fallen queen.


	6. 13 Fate

#13 Fate

**#13 Fate.**

A lifetime ago fate had brought them together and then just as suddenly torn them apart. Cruelty in the highest degree; they were shown what they could have had and the denied the chance to try for it. But that was lifetimes ago, the both moved on, in very different ways and yet the dream lingered on in both of them.

"_I wish we had more time together."_

"_We wouldn't have worked out anyway."_

Angry and lost he sailed the world to find the piece of himself she had taken, succeeding in only finding another to share his years with. Yet even that was taken from him by evil itself and still at the end of all things she left him.

"_You have a duty, your majesty, the throne not only needs an heir, but you need a queen."_

"_I already found a queen, my friend, but I fear she is lost now."_

The Gentle Queen that stole his heart had fared even worse, she had lost everything that had made her different and amazing. Completely lost within herself. Yet she didn't want to be found, the pain in her heart would kill her if she acknowledged it even for a moment. Then with siblings gone and hope lost, she started catching glimpses of the woman she had once been. She started to remember, then lived, loved and died.

"_Please Susan, come with us? Narnia needs all its kings and queens."_

"_And I think you need to grow up, Peter, stop playing a game invented by bored children."_

Two lifetimes on and they met again. In a world so much richer and brighter than any other they both found the part of themselves that fate had taken away, which was alright in the end, because fate then gave it back.

"_We have more time now, still think we won't work together?"_

"_Well, now I'm only twelve hundred years older than you. I think we have a chance."_


	7. 7 Picture

Yet another rather late drabble entry, but I like posting them anyway. This one kind of ran away from me but I liked where it ended up anyway.

**#7 Picture.**

"Tell me a story? Please?" His voice was soft, a grown man asking for the childhood he had been denied. They were curled up together, the night was dark yet neither of them was able to sleep. The world had changed so much and they had yet to properly talk, but that would come in time.

She paused for a moment, thinking. "Alright then, how about an epic saga spanning decades and different worlds?"

"Sounds perfect."

"Once upon a time in a land not at all far away lived a young woman of twenty-one who was the very picture of a proper London socialite. She went to all the right parties, wore all the right dresses, denied all the right things she and her siblings had done and hated herself in just the right way."

He pulled her closer, understanding the pain and struggle much of her adult life had been.

"You already know the beginning of the story, she and her siblings hiding from a war before finding themselves leading the battles of another. Fighting and succeeding for a country they would then come to rule happily for many years. Growing up and becoming adults before finding themselves once again trapped in bodies they had grown out of long ago."

Curled up in his arms, the words flowed out, the anger and pain drifting away with every word.

"A year later they found themselves pulled back into that mythical world, except this time is different, it is the same world yes, but there is none of the familiarity and safety of when they left. It is dark and savage and not at all like home. There is another war, another fight for their people and the regain the throne for its rightful heir. As they fight it becomes home again, different but increasingly similar until one day they realise they never again want to leave. But they do, because it is asked of them, but what the others didn't know was that leaving tore the girl's heart apart. She left what remained of her heart with the handsome prince they were there to help, what went home with her siblings was a mere shell of a woman."

She took a deep breath, reminding herself that the pain was long gone, she wasn't alone anymore.

"She went home and tried to move on, tried to forget and live a proper life. But that's incredibly hard with only half a heart and no future in sight. While her younger siblings were able to visit their proper world again she and her older brother stayed; trapped in a world full of grey gloom. She tried to fight, attempted to remember and believe in what she had been but it's hard when the only reminder you have is heartbreak."

"Is your heart still broken?"

"No, no, it hasn't been broken in a long time, but the heart takes years to heal properly and sometimes it never does at all. But you already knew that, Caspian, your heart was as broken as mine once, was it not?"

One sarcastic eyebrow rose, and he was reminded just how strong this woman was even in the face of all the pain she had been through and the uncertainty of the future.

"Once upon a time, dear Susan, you stole it away from me, and when you gave it back it was in one piece, so I don't feel like it was ever broken," he smiled, the irony of it all amusing him, "Not broken, simply misplaced."

"Misplaced, you say? How does one live with a misplaced heart?"

"I had yours to keep me company, I think. That and good advisors to beat the frown off my face."

She laughed, knowing that Trumpkin and Professor Cornelius would do such a thing if they thought it best. She sobered after a moment, his fingers tracing the line of her cheek and jaw.

"I never finished telling you the story, now did I?"

"Nay, my queen you did not." He smiled gently at her, knowing that it wasn't the easiest topic for her to talk about.

"Well, the girl lived as best she could even though she didn't like the world she was in; she tried to be content at least. Eventually though, she died as all people do, peacefully in her sleep. Then in death she found what she had been missing for all her years and lived happily ever after with the handsome prince who had been holding onto her misplaced heart for so very long. Then she and her handsome prince spent the rest of eternity having a ball, occasionally avoiding her brothers and living happily ever after."

"Happily ever after?"

"Mmm hmm. For ever and ever, they were happy." The smile that curled over her lips was teasing and mischievous, he raised an eyebrow in return, meeting her challenge head on.

"For ever is a long time, we better start working on that 'happily ever after' bit if we don't want it to get boring.

And so the lost queen of old grinned before doing just that, living happily ever after in death.

Hope you like it and I'd love to hear what you guys think of it all, if you don't tell me I'm just gonna assume you don't hate them and keep on writing. :)


	8. 15 Key

**#15 Key.**

The door was locked. Very locked and he lacked a key. It could not be anymore locked if it tried. And for some traitorous reason it refused to open when he glared at it, even when he crossed his arms it refused to budge.

Ten minutes later he was still glaring at the door. Edmund stood next to him, glancing between the door and his fellow monarch in a vain attempt to figure the situation out.

"Is there a particular reason why this door has inspired your anger, Caspian, or do you just not like its colour scheme?"

"It is currently standing in the way between me and your sister. She has the only key and refuses to come out."

Edmund had to bite his lip to keep from sniggering; he glanced at Caspian and laughed: the Telmarine was standing there arms crossed and pouting like a child denied a sweet.

"What has Su done now? Refused to dance with you at tonight's ball? Borrowed something without asking?"

"No, she stole the last bowl of raspberries and refuses to share them."

Edmund blinked, paused.

"_Susan Pevensie! You open this bloody door right this instant or I'm telling Peter!"_

Caspian sniggered and yet the door remained locked.

AN: A big thank you to mae-E for the feedback, you're awesome. Reviews are love. Feel free to let me know what you think.


	9. 16 Autumn

**#16 Autumn **

Her dress had been the colour of autumn leaves, burnt orange and rich gold with just a hint of bright fire red. But what he remembered most about that dress was in the way it had fallen to his floor, disregarded like yesterdays trash. They had forgotten about it then, spending the night thinking about not thinking.

When he woke the next morning to any empty bed, the sight of that dress on the floor warmed his heart more than anything else had before. Its former occupant was curled up by the window in only his shirt, pale skin mostly bare to the morning chill.

"Susan? What are you doing up?"

"Just thinking."

"About what, love?"

"The changing seasons."

"Well, fair enough, but you should come back to bed, it's chilly out there."

"I know. Autumn has taken hold, the world retreating upon itself, preparing to hide from winter's bite."

"True yes, but soon it shall be spring again, and the world will bloom into life.

Caspian smiled slightly, used to the rambling introspections of the Gentle Queen. She stood, yelping slightly when bare feet meet cold stone. He grinned outright at the sight of her hopping across the floor in an attempt not to touch it. She practically leapt onto the bed, her expression turning sly.

"You dare to laugh at me?"

"I do, my queen, and shall continue to do so as long as you keep amusing me."

Twisting sharply Susan stuck her chilly feet under the covers until they made contact with Caspian's. Then it was his turn to yelp.

Years later when he thought of autumn he thought of her, remembering the rich gold, burnt orange and hints of red that had made up the dress that had fallen to his floor in a puddle of colour. And then he would smile.

--

Thanks for reading, feel free to leave some feedback! Feedback is love! Ergo Mae-E maaike-fluffy are extremely lovely.

:)


	10. 17 Sea

**#17 Sea.**

She had forgotten once. Forgotten everything, everyone. Or at least tried too, even when they were long parted _he_ lingered in her memories like the smell of rain after a storm. Persistent man that he was.

Then her world stopped for the third time when Eustace returned from his second trip to Narnia, the last remaining tie to her world had been severed. First they had been separated by the King of all Narnia and now he was in Aslan's Country, the land over the sea, awaiting the return of the Kings and Queens of Old.

She had spent so much time at sea once, travelling the world with her sister and their people and then again sailing the Atlantic with her parents. He reminded her of the sea in a way, strong and pulsing, yet also gentle and caring.

She mourned for him then, remembering the handsome prince that had become a noble king and the man who stole her heart with a glance.

Months later she packed a bag and left, with very little money in her pocket and no real plan at all she found herself standing up to her knees in cold sea-water watching the world pass by.

A few tears slipped down her cheek as she remembered the things she told her siblings were silly games for children, never mind that she knew that some of those games had been rather _adult_.

"Su? You alright? We were worried about you, disappearing like that."

"I'm alright, Peter, just needed some space to think is all, you know why."

"Because you lost someone you could never have? Or because someone else did get to have him?" His face is set in worry and grim sympathy.

Susan gave a bitter laugh; she knew Peter wouldn't let her live a dream for long. She turned stepping out of the ocean, letting the water slide down her calves, pausing to look back over her shoulder at the blue expanse only when the surf lapped gently at her toes.

"Could it be that I just wanted to remember what it was like to a part of the sea again?"

-- Once again thank you to my reviewers and to everyone who has given me feedback, you are all awesome and deserve cookies of love. Always feel free to let me know what you think or to point out any errors, 'cause I'm sure there's a stack of them in here. Much thanks for reading.

GalPhoe.


	11. 19 Red

_Hey all, _

_Sorry it's taken me forever to update, I haven't had proper net access since October and only just got it sorted out. Hope you don't hate me too much for it._

_Enjoy!_

_GalPhoe._

**#19 Red.**

Her colour was blue, the colour of her eyes and the last thing her saw of her, her light blue dress fluttering in the breeze as she left him for her own world. The lightness of her eyes so different from the pale of her skin and the dark of her hair, yet so natural and right.

Yet whenever he thought of her he would think of red. The red of her arrows or the red of the dress she wore to his coronation, the red of her lips or the red of the blood that stained her cheek.

Sitting alone in a high tower window late at night King Caspian the Tenth, ruler of Narnia, for lack of a better word moped, thinking of a woman long gone and a dream never realised until it was too late.

Twisting a scarlet fletched arrow between his fingers he wondered about her and the life she led in a world he knew nothing about.

"Father?" the timid voice from the doorway shook Caspian from his musings. He turned to his young son; Rillian was barely six and yet understood more than any child his age should.

"What is wrong, my son?"

"I couldn't sleep. Will you tell me a story?" Caspian smiled, moving from the window to sweep his son into his arms, tapping him on the noes with the arrows feathers.

"Of course I will, what story would you like tonight?"

"The one about your Queen in Red! I like that one!" Caspian chuckled; his son had a way of making everything right in the world. Yet something about that sentence made him pause. The innocent slip of his child's tongue made him think; how could the mythical Gentle Queen of Old be his?

It had come to him later that night, in the early hours of the morning as he lay in bed staring at the ceiling: she had been a Queen in Red for long that he had forgotten that she was also his Susan in Blue.

~*~

_Hope you enjoyed and don't forget to let me know what you think, otherwise I'm probably not going to improve much at all._

_GalPhoe._


	12. 22 Compassion

Hi everyone, sorry I haven't updated in a while, the real world caught hold of me again. This one might not makes sense cause my laptop is currently driving me nuts; I managed to reak the 'y' key and haven't been able to fix it properly so this drable was typed i supreme frustration and much swearing at keyboards in rage.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy it at least.

****

#22 Compassion.

They walked out of their fantasy world and into one that was dark, depressing and a million shades of grey without a backward glance. Yet they wished they could have taken that chance to say one last goodbye to the only place that had truly been home. However they knew that if they took that one last look they would never be able to leave no matter how much they need to.

But life went on as it always did; the four of them went back to school and home and in their own way were even more reserved than before. Their smiles were touched with sadness for people and places they had known for barely a month. It seemed that they were calmer again; never letting things get to them as they had before their most recent trip to the one place where they knew who they were.

Yet it was Susan who seemed to lose herself the most. Hiding from the very people who knew her best and knew what she struggled with daily. It was Lucy who noticed it first; the stacks of make-up growing by the week then the nights spent away from home becoming more frequent.

She had become both entirely frivolous and completely introverted all at once, going out for an evening before returning home to write or draw in the solace of her room, barely saying a word to her family.

It had been a cold and rainy Sunday evening when Lucy first saw that her older sister was not completely lost to them. She had gone upstairs to tell Susan dinner was ready when she saw not Susan Pevensie the teenaged girl but Queen Susan the Gentle sitting by the window watching the rain fall.

"Su? Tea is ready."

Susan sighed before looking back at the picture she was currently working on before standing and leaving the room. Lucy lingered in the doorway for a moment, caught between her curiosity and wanting to respect her sister's privacy. Curiosity won out and she carefully turned over the topmost sheet of paper on Susan's abandoned chair. Lucy sighed, eyes filled with more compassion than she thought she could feel.

"I'm so sorry, Su. I suspect this is harder on you than we thought possible."

**End.**

**~*~**

Well hope you liked it and maybe (if my keyboard doesn't drive me insane) I'll be able to update a bit more often now that I have no classes or indeed a job to do.

3

Rewiews as always keep me going!

GalPhoe.


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